Louisiana

House Bill 636 (2011)

Introduction

When House Bill 636 was introduced in May, 2011, it included the following protection of conscience provision which amended the existing law by striking out a limitation it contained. The final version of the bill that passed in June, 2011 did not strike out the limitation, leaving the existing protection of conscience law unchanged.

Regular Session, 2011

(Substitute for House Bill No. 586 by Representative Hoffmann)

BY REPRESENTATIVE HOFFMANN

AN ACT

To amend and reenact R.S. 40:1299.35.6, 1299.35.9(A)(1) and (B)(2), and 1299.35.19 and to enact R.S. 40:1299.35.1(11) and 1299.35.5.1, relative to abortion; to require certain signage in abortion facilities; to provide for certain requirements of the Department ofHealth andHospitals relative to abortion; to provide for voluntary and informed consent criteria; to provide for delivery of certain information under the Woman's Right to Know law; to provide relative to conscience in health care protection, including provisions relative to living human embryos; to provide for penalties; and to provide for related matters.

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§1299.35.9. Conscience in health care protection; definitions

A.(1) Any person has the right not to participate in, and no person shall be required to participate in any health care service that violates his conscience to the extent that patient access to health care is not compromised. No person shall be held civilly or criminally liable, discriminated against, dismissed, demoted, or in any way
prejudiced or damaged for declining to participate in any health care service that violates his conscience.

B. For purposes of this Section:

(2) "Health care service" is limited to abortion, dispensation of abortifacient drugs, human embryonic stem cell research, including destruction of any living human embryo, human embryo cloning, euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide.

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